This plugin mod is "Retired" as of EQ2Map 1.1.1+. It will no longer be updated or corrected to work with the latest versions of EQ2Map. This is because all POI Finder functionality is now built-in to the EQ2Map via it's All Button list.

But if for some reason you are still using the older style EQ2Map, then the POI Finder may still be useful. See below for details on how to use it.

Mod Purpose and History:
This mod is basically a newer version of mother9987's terrific EQ2Map Map Spoiler Project mod. I was prompted to make this version because the spoiler links were never updated often enough to be more then a small subset of those available as EQ2Map POIs (Points of Interest). And the links that did exist often weren't descriptive enough. I also updated the mod name to be "POI Finder" because its not really a spoiler tool (in my eyes at least). All the info it provides is already part of the basic EQ2Map mod - but that info was very difficult and annoying to find especially on the large and heavily POI'd outdoor maps. Using this mod, finding the POI you need for a quest should be considerably easier.

Features:
Basic features are identical to mother9987's version. Clicking on a link will create an X on the EQ2Map at the POI it refers to and activate the tracking path visual if you are close enough to it. Like before the POIs are split into 6 categories (Locations, Monsters, Named Monsters, NPCs, Quests, and Zone Lines) and alphabetized. And unlike before, all POI links now have tooltips that match (minus the UID info) the tooltip you see by holding your mouse pointer over the actual EQ2Map POI icon.

Installation:

1) Install EQ2Map:
This mod is an add-on for the ever-popular EQ2Map Mod. So make sure that is installed first. It should work fine with both the Manual and Auto Updating versions.

2) Identify the correct POI Finder install directory:
Inside of your EQ2 installation directory there will be a folder called UI. Two subdirectories deep inside of that will be a folder named eq2map that contains several icon_something.xml files and a bunch of plugin_#.xml files. The tricky part is that the directory that sits 1 deep inside the UI folder and that holds the eq2map folder could be named many different things. And is sometimes also called eq2map.

This middle directory inside of the UI directory is where you need to extract the downloaded zip file for this mod. I will refer to it from here on as the POIFinder Install Directory. So if your directory path looks something like Everquest2\UI\customDir\eq2map, then your POIFinder Install Directory is customDir (doesn't have to be called customDir - could be named anything). Or if it looks like Everquest2\UI\eq2map\eq2map then it is the FIRST (left) eq2map folder.

3) Extracting the Files:
Use a program like Winzip or UltimateZip to unzip the downloaded file. When it asks you about a destination for the extracted files, point it at the POIFinder Install Directory identified in Step 2. If the unzip utility asks if you want to overwrite a pre-existing file make sure you say yes for all. At the very least it should ask about overwriting plugin_7.xml. If it does not, you may want to re-read Step 2 again.

4) First Time Install Steps:
This section only needs to be done when installing this mod for the very first time or if the last time you installed it the version was 1.00-1.20. If neither case applies to you, your install is complete. Otherwise read on...

eq2ui_custom.xml: Look in the POIFinder Install Directory for a file called eq2ui_custom.xml. If not there, rename the eq2ui_custom_example.xml file that should also be in the POIFinder Install Directory just by removing the _example part so it becomes eq2ui_custom.xml.

In all other cases where you already have the eq2ui_custom.xml file in the POIFinder Install Directory, don't delete it or rename the example version. While some mods like the Profit Reborn UI mod that also use eq2ui_custom.xml may have already included the necessary line to enable POI Finder, you should check by searching the file with a text editor program for the line <include>eq2ui_custom_poifinder.xml</include>. If you don't see it but do see other <include>somefile.xml</include> lines, add the line you were searching for below all the other includes. Basicly, it should look similar to the eq2ui_custom_example.xml file with the possible addition of extra <include> lines.

eq2ui.xml check: Another potential installation problem can be averted by looking in the POIFinder Install Directory for the eq2ui.xml file. If it is NOT present you should actually be fine and don't have to do anything. But if it is there, it was added by some other UI mod and you need to make sure it already contains the line <include>eq2ui_custom.xml</include>. If not, edit the file and add it below all the other <include> lines.

Don't forget to save any files you edited once you are done changing them.

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Known Issues:
None

Versions:1.60 (8/30/08) - POI Finder window can now be expanded horizontally. The length of the links hasn't been lengthened (I'm considering it for a future version) but this may help some people for whom the default text for some reason is extra large or who want to minimize the width. 1.55 (8/30/08) - More unnecessary XML removed for smaller download and to streamline the files. Selected list item will have a darker background and lighter text.1.51 (12/2/07) - Open/Close button has been made slightly larger and moved further from edge to aid seeing and clicking.1.50 (11/29) - The last "Issue" is now gone! The launch button will now both open AND close the POI Finder window. Also the button has been moved to the lower left corner (see new screen cap above) to keep it away from the POI Filter settings pulldown button. And as if that weren't enough new links wiill automatically load as soon as a new map area or zone is entered. No more mousing-over needed. Major props go to gm9 once again for providing me with the XML for these changes and fixes.1.36 (11/27) - Functionally the same as 1.35, but I removed some un-needed extra XML from all the finder link files on a tip from Jnils. Download size is a few Kb smaller and mod may load a tad quicker.1.35 (11/18) - Included eq2ui_custom_example.xml file with download in order to simplify the install process. More help from gm9 fixed the issue with multi-map zones. 1.30 (11/15) - Switched to use new custom.xml file that came with GU40. Much help was provided by gm9 of ProfitUI Reborn fame.1.20 (5/16) - Added XML that will make Talyns' ShrinkMap Plugin work better by moving the POI Finder button to a less intrusive spot when map is shrunk.1.15 (4/13) - Using ESC will now only close the POI Finder and not the EQ2 Map window as well.1.10 (4/3) - POI Finder now does not open automatically with EQ2Map. Launch button must be used. Hitting ESC now closes both POI Finder and Map. XML was streamlined and greatly simplified. Much of the credit for these changes should be given to jnils (aka Gregorin of Runnyeye)1.00 (3/17) - Autogenerated scrollpage and plugin_7 files; Installation path separated from old Spoiler Project version; Zone titles with parentheses in them display correctly0.90b (3/14/07) - Initial release.

I love your mod, but as I am a roleplayer, and really do read the books for lore and to be in character, it is almost impossible to read in game books with the skin for the window that is used for reading any books in game.

Is there a way to change the background just for that window so I may be able to read books, and see the illustrations better?

You can consider this mod to be retired as of the launch of the new EQ2Maping mod (1.1.1+) since it includes all the functionality of the POI Finder and more. I have no plans to update it further or make it compatible with the new EQ2Map.

Its been my honor to be able to contribute something so useful to the EQ2 community And doing the updates was never much of a burden. But I'm not one to complain about my workload being lessesned by someone else if it lets me spend more time playing PC games

Originally posted by TreeMos Rt3: If you could, please tell me what resolution you play the game in, and if in a full screen or windowed mode. Also if possible, take a screenshot or 2 of how things looked before you changed the xml and post a link to it here.

Rt3: If you could, please tell me what resolution you play the game in, and if in a full screen or windowed mode. Also if possible, take a screenshot or 2 of how things looked before you changed the xml and post a link to it here.

Quote:

Originally posted by rt3 There could be some confusion as to what you are talking about and what i'm referring too. Possibly different resolutions, 4:3 compared to wide screen make the horizontal hard set width not good for some.

Basically my situation was very similar to this.

Hard set i would see.
"The boy ran up th"

when unlocked i would see
"The boy ran up the hill and fetched a pale of water."

If i was looking for "pale", i was better off methodically going through all the dots on the map. This addon became very limited in its usefulness.

There could be some confusion as to what you are talking about and what i'm referring too. Possibly different resolutions, 4:3 compared to wide screen make the horizontal hard set width not good for some.

Basically my situation was very similar to this.

Hard set i would see.
"The boy ran up th"

when unlocked i would see
"The boy ran up the hill and fetched a pale of water."

If i was looking for "pale", i was better off methodically going through all the dots on the map. This addon became very limited in its usefulness.

Originally posted by rt3 Unlocking it would be helpful to allot of people.

I keep hearing the text is fixed length but trust me i see much longer strings of text on different maps, for example Timorous Deep is all short and that fixed width is fine, however in Fens of Nathsar i can widen the screen way out and the text just keeps on displaying, which is EXTREMELY helpful due to the way people input tips into POI.

This is wery strage, as the buttons are limited to 250 in length, this should not be possible even if the button text was longer.
The Tooltip has no limits in length and should diplay the complete discription.

I keep hearing the text is fixed length but trust me i see much longer strings of text on different maps, for example Timorous Deep is all short and that fixed width is fine, however in Fens of Nathsar i can widen the screen way out and the text just keeps on displaying, which is EXTREMELY helpful due to the way people input tips into POI.

Open your "eq2ui_custom_poifinder.xml" with XML Notepad 2007 and on the left simply right click on the "MAXimumsize" and select to delete, save the file and voila you can size the window to suit your resolution or widescreen.

Ahhhhh, now i can find things fast again.

Since I can't claim to have a fantastic reason for keeping the width locked I may make it unlockable with my next update. Since the text was always the same max length I saw no reason to make it wider. But then I didn't realize that running at different resolutions might make a difference with how it looks.

Open your "eq2ui_custom_poifinder.xml" with XML Notepad 2007 and on the left simply right click on the "MAXimumsize" and select to delete, save the file and voila you can size the window to suit your resolution or widescreen.

Originally posted by rt3 Thanks! But i think I'm going to leave well enough alone. It was just a little jarring at first to have it nice and wide like the screenshots then down to a thin little strip of text.